Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

This was my first time reading Neil Gaiman, and I have to say, “what has taken me so long?”

This book was wonderful, creepy, and oddly emotional for me by the end. The simple childlike wonder Gaiman expressed through the narrator’s seven-year-old eyes was expertly written and captivating. And while some description were (I believe) purposely vague, I never found any events or settings unclear.

It takes a couple chapters to get going, but once it does, it doesn’t stop. The theme of contrast between what it’s like to be a child versus an adult and self-identity are explored in such an interesting fashion that it makes the book hard to put down.

That’s not to mention how terrifying and gross the creatures and events were. I squirmed at the part involving the narrator’s foot, and I’m typically one that can eat carnivorous meals while watching gory films.

The ending was bittersweet, and I’m a sucker for ones that involve forgetting someone you love.

At times I felt like the prose was too simple and gave me no real sense of place, but that is just a nitpick from this fantastic tale.